BN is clearly a coalition of one party

Anonymous #44199885: There you have it the official announcement from Umno. They did not steal any seat. MCA, MIC and all the other component parties are merely borrowing seats from Umno.

And now the time has come for the borrower to settle by returning the seat. So why not Umno just contest all 222 seats? The true power-sharing formula in BN is Umno is owner of all seats and the rest of the component parties are merely borrowers.

Only in Pakatan Rakyat are the respective parties truly equal partners. What a shame for MCA? This is truly insulting a statement if ever. So MCA members, what say you? Are you still campaigning and voting for BN?

Parameswara: What it means is simple. Under the BN's version of equality, all seats belong to Umno. The other ‘equal' partners in the BN coalition must beg for seats.

Not only that, these little fellows must go all out continuously to protect, defend and justify the corrupt practices of their Big Brother. In return, they get the crumbs - not just seats but also allowed to be corrupt (albeit on a smaller scale).

And they call it BN's ‘winning formula'.

Lim Chong Leong: A case of blame it on the Indians when Umno takes from MCA. Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor did not explain how Wangsa Maju, which he said has 100,000 Indians, was not an MIC seat but an Umno seat loaned to MCA.

Tengku Adnan also did not explain why it is not returned to MIC but to Umno. What is clear is that Umno has given MCA the middle finger.

Starr: Wow, Tengku Adnan coming out with new phrases like Wangsa Maju constituency 'loaned out' to MCA and now 'returned' to Umno in much of the same way as in National Feedlot Corporation's scandal, where money taken out from NFC for purchase of condos in Singapore as 'directors' loan' for 'investment'.

It shows the acute lack of credibility among Umno-BN politicians. They no longer call a spade, a spade. They can come out all sorts of reasons to justify their own actions. They are indeed incapable of honesty.

The rakyat would do well to reject this type of politicians, the country don't need 'politicians' of gamesmanship but true 'leaders' with integrity and character.

Joker: It is clear to all that MCA owns that seat and Umno is now taking it back by force - this is the 'consensus' decision-making in BN.

Adnan also tried to deliver a low blow by making fun of the Pakatan members' logos. Well, to me, you need the ‘rocket' to go to the ‘moon' and you need keen ‘eyes' to operate and steer the rocket. So everyone is working together to achieve the same objective.

How about BN? MCA seeks to reach the ‘star' but Gerakan wants to remain on earth to plant padi while Umno is still weighing its options before deciding what it wants.

The decision is slow in coming because Umno uses an old fashion 'dacing' instead of a digital scale, whereas MIC is merrily scribbling letters in a box while waiting to be told what to do.

Rick Teo: Tengku Adnan, if it used to belong to the Indians then it should be given back to the Indians. Why is Umno taking the seat then? Does it not show that Umno is greedy?

Democracy: MCA borrows seat from MIC and years later returns the seat to Umno. This is Tengku Adnan's logic and Chua Soi Lek accepts it.

Even the Ah Long's interest rate sounds more logical. MIC, what have you to say? You loan the money, but someone else collect the interest as well as the capital.

FellowMalaysian: Tengku Adnan's message is clear; that many of the seats which MCA contested in 2008 were Umno seats and were leased or loaned to MCA to contest.

But MCA's poor showing and coupled with the expected rejection of MCA leaders by the Chinese voters come GE13, Adnan is telling MCA that it's time to recall the loan as they do not deserve the seats.

Indeed, Chua is not contesting because there's simply not enough seats for MCA.

Ghkok: A ‘coalition' is a group of parties, each in control of its own destiny, but all coming together to reach a common goal.

BN is supposedly a coalition of 14 parties. However:

1) The Umno president is always the BN chairperson.

2) The BN chairperson calls all the shots - he decides on every candidate in every constituency from every party.

3) None of the parties appear to be in control of its own destiny, except Umno.

Is BN a coalition? Yes, it is but a coalition of one party.

Geronimo: Consensus in BN? The word is as alien as ‘fair'. Bullying is more like it.

Adnan, you can mock Pakatan about the moon, rocket and hole but when the day is over, you will eat humble pie. That we can assure you.

Doc: And there you have it, another fine example of MCA-Umno relationship. Umno growls, MCA tucks his tail between his legs and whimpers.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.